• Mission & Governance
• Services Overview
• How to Get Involved
• Standing Committees
• NCSL Foundation

• Issue Areas: A-Z
• State-Federal Relations
• NCSL Standing Committees
• News from D.C. and the States

• About State Legislatures
• Elections, Campaigns & Redistricting
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory
• Web Sites

• Online Guide to NCSL Services
• Staff Sections and Networks
• Meetings & Professional Development
• Staff Directories

• Meetings Calendar
• Online Registration
• Meetings Home Page
• Legislative Summit

• Bookstore
• State Legislatures Magazine
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory

NLPES Site Map

About NLPES

NLPES Executive Committee
Meeting Minutes

The Executive Committee met on Saturday, July 24, 1999, at the Indianapolis Convention Center, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Members present at the meeting included: Joel Alter, James Barber, Gary Brown, Gerald Hoppmann, Kirk Jonas, Craig Kinton, Heather Moritz, Mary Noble, Jane Thesing, and Gary VanLandingham. Members absent from the meeting included: Joe Fiala and Tony Jones. Others present at the meeting included: Bob Boerner, Mark Bucherl, and Martha Carter (newly elected NLPES Executive Committee member, Nebraska).

The meeting was called to order by Gary VanLandingham, Chair, at 3:30 p.m. Gary welcomed Executive Committee members and guests to Indianapolis.

Gary VanLandingham noted that Executive Committee members previously approved the April 9 meeting minutes electronically. James Barber, Secretary, provided hard copies of the April 9 meeting minutes.

Gary VanLandingham gave the Executive Committee an update regarding recent actions of the Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee (LSCC). Gary stated that NCSL has redesigned its website and noted that NLPES would need to revise its website to conform to the changes made by NCSL. Gary also stated that NLPES would probably need to move the website from Florida OPPAGA back to NCSL in the near future. Gary reported that NCSL has developed a compact disc that can be used as an orientation tool for new legislators and legislative staff. Gary also said that John Phelps, incoming NCSL Staff Chair, would be forming new task forces for the upcoming year.

The chairs of NLPES committees gave reports regarding the work of their committees.

Awards: James Barber (Chair). James provided a handout with the names of the 1999 award recipients, including the following.

• Excellence in Legislative Program Evaluation -- Washington State JLARC
• Outstanding Contributions to Legislative Program Evaluation -- Judith E. Frye
• Special Recognition for Accountability Reporting-- Florida OPPAGA
• Certificates of Recognition of Impact -- Arizona Office of the Auditor General; Florida OPPAGA; Georgia Department of Audits; Illinois Office of the Auditor General; Massachusetts House Post Audit and Oversight Bureau; Michigan Office of the Auditor General; Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor; South Carolina Legislative Audit Council; Texas Office of the State Auditor; Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau; and Wyoming Legislative Services Office.

Annual Meeting: Jane Thesing (Chair). Jane summarized the NLPES-sponsored sessions to be held during the Annual Meeting. She also enlisted volunteers to write summaries of the sessions for the NLPES newsletter and website.

Communications: Craig Kinton (Chair). Craig recognized Mark Bucherl for his job as editor of the NLPES Newsletter. Craig noted that the online version of the newsletter seemed to be popular with NLPES members.

Liaisons: Heather Moritz (Chair). Heather stated that NLPES members had been appointed to serve as liaisons to all of the professional organizations with which NLPES associates with the exception of the Association of Government Accountants (AGA). She asked for names of members who may be interested in serving in this capacity.

Nomination and Elections: Mary Noble (Chair). Mary noted that there was a sufficient number of candidates to fill the six vacancies on the NLPES Executive Committee without holding an election. The Executive Committee briefly discussed the possibility of executive branch staff becoming NLPES members. By consensus, the Executive Committee agreed that executive branch staff could participate in NLPES activities, but actual membership should be limited to those individuals employed by a legislature or an entity associated with a legislature, as stated in the NLPES by-laws.

Training: Joel Alter (Chair). Joel stated that the tentative site for the 2001 fall training conference is Kansas City, Missouri, with the conference being co-hosted by Kansas and Missouri. Upon a motion by Joel Alter and a second by Mary Noble, the committee voted to officially select Kansas City as the site for the 2001 fall training conference. Craig Kinton posed several questions regarding the 2000 fall training conference to be held in Austin, Texas. The questions involved dates (late September or early November); location and price of hotel; time frame (Tuesday through Thursday or Sunday through Wednesday) and co-sponsorship by the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Joel reported that the training committee continues to work on a handbook for host states to use in planning a fall training conference. The committee is also discussing the updating of its training directory.

Gerald Hoppmann provided an update regarding the development of performance indicators for NLPES.

Gary VanLandingham asked whether a collection of orientation materials exists for new Executive Committee members. By consensus, the members agreed that such materials should be compiled. Craig Kinton, incoming NLPES chair, asked Executive Committee members to contact him regarding their preference of committee assignments. He also said that committee chairs should develop a list of responsibilities for each committee.

By consensus, the Executive Committee adjourned its meeting at 5 p.m. The Chair announced that the next Executive Committee meeting would be held at 2 p.m. on the final day of the Annual Meeting, Wednesday, July 28.

Respectfully submitted,

James A. Barber, Secretary